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Newcastle, Arsenal, Brentford, Everton, Leeds, Coventry, Aston Villa, Hull and Ipswich have all brought in exciting playersAnthony Gordon will be a difficult act to follow at Newcastle, but Touré could be a shrewd replacement. Blessed with electric pace, the 20-year-old is a bit more of an old-fashioned winger in that he predominantly plays from the left and is left-footed. As a result, he was more of a creator than a goalscorer for Hoffenheim last season.Of his 14 Bundesliga goal involvements last term, nine were assists, and Touré’s total of 44 chances created in open play was bettered by five players. Gordon laid on only 24 chances in open play in the Premier League last season. Touré is a high-volume crosser (his 115 in open play were the fourth most in the Bundesliga last season) and will be different to Gordon, but potentially a valuable source of danger.While hardly the most glamorous name in the Premier League, Leandro Trossard was a useful and dependable player for Arsenal. Replacing him is easier said than done. Tzolis has been given that task and he looks a good fit.For starters, he was a highly effective creator for Club Brugge last season, with his 135 chances created being 35 more than anyone else in the Belgian Pro League. Crucially, he produced the goods at set pieces – and we know how important they are for Mikel Arteta. Declan Rice was Arsenal’s most effective player from set pieces last season, creating 27 chances; Tzolis’s deliveries yielded 52 opportunities. That accounted for 38.5% of his total chances created. While Rice (42.9%) had a greater proportion from dead-ball situations, his total (63) was far lower than the Greek winger’s.Tzolis is unlikely to match the 40 goal involvements he recorded last season, though he made a strong first impression during the Community Shield win against Manchester City with two assists.There are plenty of French football experts who were very surprised to see Sangaré only end up at Brentford this summer. The fact the Mali international has just a single season’s experience in a top league may have counted against him, though Brentford look set to benefit from the hesitance of others.Sangaré proved himself to be an eye-catching all-round midfielder at Lens last season. Across Europe’s top five leagues, only Elliot Anderson (8.26) and Exequiel Palacios (8.04) averaged more possession regains per 90 (900+ minutes) than him (8.01). And when looking specifically at possession won in the middle third of the pitch, his 4.7 per 90 saw him rank second.Sangaré offered plenty on the ball as well. Only four Ligue 1 players tallied more secondary chances created (that’s the pass before the pass that creates a chance) than his 31. He uses the ball smartly and is a dependable presence in the buildup, both in terms of his distribution and ability to hold on to the ball under pressure.Hackney built a strong reputation during his four full seasons in the Championship with Middlesbrough after coming through the club’s academy. But, after Boro failed to earn promotion last season, it seemed highly unlikely the former England Under-21s international would be staying at the Riverside Stadium. Everton were the ones to make the move for a fee that could rise to £25m.Hackney is a deep-lying playmaker who is accurate in possession but also brings a degree of progressiveness with his passing – without being overly risky. At 33.5%, his proportion of open-play passes played forward is only a little over average among positional peers in the Championship last season, but at the same time his 52 secondary chances created were the most of everyone in the division. Similarly, his 4.86 expected assists (xA) saw him rank seventh. If the 24-year-old adjusts to the top flight, an England call-up may not be too far away.Coventry attracted a lot of praise (and envy) when they signed Yirenkyi from Nordsjælland this month. The 20-year-old Ghana international has been exciting people in analytics circles for a while thanks to his broad skill set. Nominally a central midfielder, Yirenkyi can feature as a No 6, a No 8 or even at right-back, and his range of talents suggests he could be a good fit for the Premier League.In the Danish Superliga last season, he was one of just six midfielders to average at least 1.0 open-play chances created (1.1), 1.5 tackles (2.0) and 6.0 possession regains (7.1) per 90. But of those six, his 81.1 touches per 90 were comfortably the most, and his 91.8% pass-completion rate was the best of all midfielders in the competition (900+ mins), highlighting how much of a central figure he was for his team. Yirenkyi rated above average across the board.The last time Ipswich were in the Premier League, in 2024-25, they put faith in a young centre-forward, Liam Delap. They’re doing so again this time around, having spent £24m on the Brazilian striker Emersonn from Toulouse.The 22-year-old is a bit of a gamble. He scored only six times in 28 league appearances last season. But he should still offer plenty. He’s quick, tall, technically sound and effective at running in behind and dropping deep to knit play together.He ranked eighth among centre-forwards in Ligue 1 last season for carries ending in a shot or chance created (17), and most of those above him played considerably more minutes. Watching his adjustment to the Premier League could be fascinating.Aston Villa lost Morgan Rogers and Youri Tielemans in the summer, so some extra attacking impetus in midfield was always going to be required. The hope is Manzambi will help ease those losses. The 20-year-old is a forward-thinking midfielder who is capable of bursting forward and evading opponents in tight spaces.At Freiburg last season, only three regular Bundesliga midfielders averaged more than his five progressive carries of at least 10 metres per 90. And he ranked 14th for dribble attempts (2.8) per 90, with many of those above him more like wingers. He then impressed at the World Cup, becoming the youngest player in at least 60 years to manage five goal involvements at a single tournament (three goals, two assists).Manzambi was subject to something of a transfer tug of war; Villa won and the prospect of him developing under Unai Emery is an exciting one.He did not make his Colorado Rapids debut until February, but Herrington was still named to the MLS All-Star squad after his first World Cup campaign with Australia. The 18-year-old’s rise has been rapid. He was linked with a host of elite clubs, but opted for Hull on the basis that he will play first-team football.The teenager is an elegant, ball-playing centre-back. Among defenders to play 400+ minutes in MLS this year, Herrington ranked sixth for touches per 90 (92.3), eighth for passing accuracy (93.8%), fourth for carries per 90 (24.4) and third for progressive carries of 10+ metres (5.4) per 90.Adapting to the physical aspects of the Premier League may require time, but his 71.2% aerial success rate in MLS was reasonably high, enough to rank 15th among the same group of defenders. If Herrington can adapt quickly, we could be watching one of the world’s next top centre-backs.Leeds made Muharemovic their second-most expensive signing (at the time) when they paid Sassuolo £34m this summer, and he feels like the kind of centre-back supporters will appreciate. The Bosnia and Herzegovina international has technical ability and is also a unit and strong competitor.He’s not afraid to be adventurous with his passing – his 191 long passes were the 11th most of all outfielders in Serie A last season, while he ranked joint-sixth for switches of play (12). He is a keen tackler although he does pick up his fair share of yellow cards, with seven in the league last season. Leeds fans will appreciate his committed nature and, at 23, there’s a lot of upside to his signing.

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Guardian writers’ predicted position: 17th (NB: this is not necessarily Louise Taylor’s prediction but the average of our writers’ tips)As David Hopkinson, Newcastle’s chief executive, recently reflected: “This is a moment of change. Life is all about change but there are certain moments of punctuation and we are in one of those now”. With Eddie Howe having stepped down, applying a full stop to almost five largely successful years as manager, there is a new head coach in Matthias Jaissle. The 38-year-old German excelled during previous postings in Austria and Saudi Arabia but has never managed in England, let alone in the Premier League.Jaissle’s task is complicated by Newcastle, who finished a disappointing 12th last season, selling arguably their three best players – Anthony Gordon, Sandro Tonali and Bruno Guimarães – to Barcelona, Tottenham and Arsenal respectively this summer. Along the way the wage bill has been slashed and spending rules complied with as the sporting director, Ross Wilson, reduces the squad’s average age quite significantly. Four of the first five close-season signings were aged 20 or under. Small wonder Hopkinson keeps referring to “Newcastle 2.0”.Significantly, no one at the club is talking about Europe; the reality is that this season a top-10 finish would constitute a triumph. As Jaissle keeps reiterating, Newcastle have entered a “transitional” period. The way it pans out may well hinge on whether he can succeed where Howe failed and get the best out of last season’s twin attacking disappointments Yoane Wissa and Nick Woltemade. With Wissa excelling in pre-season, there is cause for cautious optimism. Bazoumana Touré, Aladji Bamba and Sean Steur, three of the new boys, also do not look entirely out of place.On paper Newcastle’s majority owners, Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), are the wealthiest in world football. But the sport’s spending rules are based on the balance between squad costs and commercial revenue and Newcastle’s income is around half of that of some key rivals.They are now in a three-year “settlement agreement” with Uefa after breaching European cost control regulations and, in a bid to balance the books, have not merely sold Gordon, Tonali and Guimarães but implemented a policy of broadly signing players under 25 priced between £20m and £40m. “We were living beyond our means but at some point you have got to pay the credit card bill,” said Hopkinson. Meanwhile, the seemingly interminable wait for confirmation that a new training ground will be built near the airport at Woolsington and a decision as to whether to build a new stadium or redevelop St James’ Park endures.Opinions about PIF – they own 85% of the club while the Reuben family hold the remaining 15% – are varied. At one end of the spectrum lies the pressure group NUFC Fans against Sportswashing who, admirably, do not miss an opportunity to highlight Saudi Arabia’s atrocious human right record. The vast majority of supporters are united in disappointment that PIF officials have no direct contact with fans or reporters. Bonds with the fanbase weakened when the popular former minority owner Amanda Staveley was ousted in a 2024 boardroom power struggle. Moreover, many Tynesiders had hoped the takeover would bring significantly greater local and regional regeneration.Jaissle proved a serial trophy winner at RB Salzburg and Al-Ahli, winning two Asian Champions Leagues during his three year stint in Saudi Arabia. Hopkinson has described him as “a rock star”, while the man himself appears a high priest of pressing. Asked recently to describe his preferred style, Jaissle replied: “Front-footed, aggressive, vertical, high energy, intense and relentless.” Howe’s successor could easily pass as the centre-half he was until serious knee trouble ended his career in his mid-20s. Jaissle, who had played for Thomas Tuchel in Stuttgart’s youth teams and then Ralf Rangnick at Hoffenheim, immediately turned his attentions to coaching, beginning his new career as an assistant at Leipzig. Newcastle fans already delight in serenading him with choruses of “Oh Jaissle, I can boogie.”How are Newcastle going to create chances this season? It’s hard to imagine a Premier League side losing their leading four chance creators in one transfer window but Newcastle have allowed that to happen. The departures of Guimarães, Tonali, Gordon and Kieran Trippier have left quite the hole. New signing Bazoumana Touré needs to make a fast start.Newcastle now have a genuine sweeper-keeper in Lukas Hornicek, the 24-year-old Czech Republic international who has joined for £26m from Braga. Hornicek’s footwork is so good he alternated between keeping goal and playing as a striker until well into his teens. Allied to excellent shot-stopping abilities and competence in the face of crosses, that kicking ability attracted plenty of admirers as Hornicek impressed during the 2025 European Under-21 Championships. Hornicek has been dubbed the “new Petr Cech” in his homeland.Mason Miley, the young brother of 20-year-old midfielder Lewis, has impressed enormously during pre-season, shining during a narrow home defeat by Bayer Leverkusen. His preferred position is as a defensive central midfielder. Miley joined Newcastle’s academy at the age of nine and signed his first professional contract earlier this summer. “Mason’s a young lad with the attitude we need; he has the right heart and the right quality,” said Jaissle. Mason is the third Miley to have graduated from Newcastle’s academy. His eldest brother Jamie, 22, is another midfielder, currently playing for Hartlepool in the National League.Tino Livramento missed the final five weeks of last season with a thigh injury but recovered in time to be called up to Thomas Tuchel’s England squad for the World Cup and even travelled to the United States. Unfortunately for the right-back, he was back home before his country’s opening game against Croatia after sustaining a calf injury in training. Livramento has undergone “minor” surgery this summer and hopes to return to action in early autumn. Meanwhile, Lewis Hall was desperately disappointed not to receive a World Cup call-up from Tuchel. The left-back has been hotly pursued by Manchester United all summer.

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Right-back worked with Matthias Jaissle at RB SalzburgSunderland to announce signing of Dayann MethalieThe chance to be reunited with Matthias Jaissle convinced Amar Dedic to swap Benfica for Newcastle in a £29.5m transfer. Dedic becomes Newcastle’s sixth signing of a turbulent summer on Tyneside and the 24-year-old Bosnia and Herzegovina international is likely to start at right-back at home to Liverpool on Sunday.“Working with Matthias again was a big factor for me,” said Dedic who previously played for Newcastle’s new manager at RB Salzburg. “We know each other well; he knows what I can bring to the pitch and I’m really happy to play for him again. It’s a special feeling and a real honour to join Newcastle.”With Tino Livramento still recovering from a calf injury, Newcastle’s lack of senior right-backs has been highlighted in pre-season and, soon after replacing Eddie Howe earlier this month, Jaissle advised club executives that Dedic could fill the void. It helps that a defender also comfortable at left-back understands the German’s playing philosophy.Sunderland, meanwhile, are set to announce the acquisition of a new left-back on Tuesday after fending off competition from Roma and Newcastle to sign the 20-year-old Toulouse defender Dayann Methalie for £25.6m.The France Under-21 international made 28 Ligue One appearances last season and will compete with Reinildo for a place in Regis Le Bris’s team. Methalie, who has signed a five-year contract at the Stadium of Light, is also comfortable operating as a left-sided central defender or at wing back.

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In spite of a 2-1 loss to Bayer Leverkusen, the new head coach at St James’ Park showed signs he is on the right path, and is closing in on Benfica’s Amar DedicReasons to be fearful or cause to be cheerful? Newcastle fans among a crowd in excess of 39,000 at St James’ Park on Saturday had much to debate as they headed home from a slightly underwhelming 2-1 friendly defeat by Bayer Leverkusen.The bad news is that a suddenly youthful team still coming to terms with life without this summer’s departed stars, Anthony Gordon, Sandro Tonali and Bruno Guimarães, look more than a little undercooked before Liverpool’s visit on Premier League duty next Sunday.Late last year these teams drew a Champions League group stage game in Leverkusen but since then the Germans have reconstructed a then transitional squad and Newcastle dismantled theirs.Eddie Howe’s sudden departure at the very end of July has left Matthias Jaissle, late of Jeddah’s Al-Ahli, to pick up the managerial pieces. Despite this defeat on a day when Leverkusen looked to be playing within themselves, the 38-year-old German is already showing a few, albeit tentative, indications that he just might be able to put one of football’s most complicated jigsaws back together.If Malick Thiaw, Anthony Elanga and Yoane Wissa in particular appear re-energised by his coaching, Jaissle’s faith in the 17-year-old Mason Miley, the younger brother of the midfielder Lewis, was fully vindicated as the academy product shone at right-back.“Mason’s a young lad with the attitude we need; he has the right heart and the right quality,” said Jaissle as he sipped an energy drink intended to replace the body’s lost electrolytes. If only he could find such a simple solution to filling the missing links left by Gordon, Tonali and Guimarães.At least Dan Burn is still around and will be Newcastle’s captain, with Joelinton as his deputy. The Brazilian, though, is injured and will miss the Liverpool game, while Burn was not involved here as Jaissle split his squad in two during a weekend that features another friendly here, against Strasbourg on Sunday.Leverkusen represented the new manager’s first match in charge at St James’ Park but it was hardly the ideal start. Inside a minute his team were behind.When Ibrahim Maza manoeuvred the ball on to his left foot in the area, Newcastle’s new goalkeeper, Lukas Hornicek, was powerless to resist the resultant shot. No matter that it was only a friendly, even Howe’s normally super-confident successor looked a little crestfallen.“It’s a big challenge,” he said. “It’s a big transition.”Jaissle cut a restless figure as he prowled the home technical area, sometimes straying far too far outside its confines for the liking of match officials.The good news for a coach who promises to prove more entertaining than his team – at least in their current incarnation – was that a reasonably strong starting XI improved incrementally during the first half and equalised shortly before half-time. Jaissle duly greeted Thiaw’s scoring header from Elanga’s corner with a prolonged bout of clapping.By then he could also reflect favourably on a positive contribution from the Miley brothers. While Lewis looked his customarily assured self in central midfield on his first appearance since breaking a leg last spring, Mason’s efforts at right-back frequently frustrated Leverkusen’s Miguel Gutiérrez.It seemed thoroughly fitting that the latter was showered with praise from his manager when, late in the second half, he hobbled off with cramp. With England’s Tino Livramento sidelined by calf trouble, Miley Jr is in real contention to start against Liverpool.Yet in eight days’ time another right-back, Benfica’s Amar Dedic, could well have been added to Newcastle’s roster. The 23-year-old, who can also operate at left-back, previously played for Jaissle at RB Salzburg and, on Saturday night, appeared close to finalising a move to Tyneside.Once that deal is done attention will doubtless turn to filling the midfield chasm left by Tonali and Guimarães.Although the 18-year-old Sean Steur – one of four players aged 20 or under signed by Newcastle since June – showed off some nice touches, the former Ajax prodigy betrayed his inexperience at times.Players with more mature presence are clearly required but Marseille’s Pierre-Emile Højbjerg has declined a £13m move to north-east England and João Palhinha is still to be persuaded to leave Bayern Munich in order to plug the leadership vacuum.On this evidence Leverkusen’s new manager, Carles Martínez, recently imported from Toulouse, might be reluctant to do a job swap with his Newcastle counterpart. Martínez’s side improved after the second-half introduction of the dangerous forward Patrick Schick and few Newcastle fans would argue the visitors did not deserve to win courtesy of Victor Boniface’s late rolled finish, with that opening created when the Nigerian expertly turned Steur.How Jaissle, who looks to still be fathoming out how to unlock Nick Woltemade’s real yet still latent talent, could do with similar attacking incision.Asked if Liverpool were arriving in Toon too soon, he initially replied: “We’ll do our best,” before turning upbeat. “We’ll keep using positivity,” he said. “I like these challenges. We are not concerned. I can’t wait.”